John 15:4 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
For a Christian to abide in the Lord is similar to how a branch abides in a tree. As long as the branch is connected to it, that branch can bear fruit.
What is the fruit? The fruit is not primarily good deeds or serving the Lord. The bible defines what fruit is:
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit are qualities that are being formed into every believer which conform him or her into the image of Christ. These come by the Holy Spirit, not by our feeble efforts. It’s exactly how a branch can only form fruit when it is given nutrients from the tree.
Consider how a branch interacts with a tree. Take those principles and apply them to your life.
- A branch cannot break away from the vine and go bear fruit on its own. A branch is continuously fed from the tree. You can bear no fruit on your own. All of your efforts to live a holy life will be useless until you depend fully on Christ.
- Different branches bear different size and numbers of fruit. A branch should not be jealous because another branch is bearing 50 pieces of fruit! Perhaps you are bearing only 3 pieces of fruit… but they are 3 very beautiful pieces of fruit. Both envy and pride always stem when you compare yourself with another brother or sister.
- Every branch is part of the same tree. If the tree is healthy, the branches are healthy. If there’s a drought, all branches suffer. The branches prosper and suffer together. We must care not only for our own spiritual maturity but for that of others as well. It’s a very selfish life to care for our own life with God apart from a body.
- The branch of an apple tree shouldn’t attempt to produce pears or grapes. It must only be content to produce apples. Christians must yearn to become more righteous and holy – qualities given by the Lord. Many believers long to also be wealthy and popular – these are worldly fruits and good for nothing.
- A branch which has been on the tree for 100 years must depend on the tree just as much as a branch which has been on the tree for 100 days. Both are dependent upon the tree. Maturity is not measured by how long you have been a Christian, only how much you depend on the Lord.